Boot or shoe sewing machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. MILLS.

BOOT QR SHOE SEWING MACHINE. No. 477,436. Patented June 21, 1892.

` [ml] :2f-*1min i) f ummm s 1m '1| I ml a 1u L. ITJ l..: .r I mmmnm vlllulunhrgf :s I' f i' ,m j 'Munn- 51%. @Jilin E 1 i .q Hi ma f j *Q "ememwmm""""m'lwfl"Il .ma!ummanMmmm.|--m E E. llllllll||IlullIllllllllllllllllmI- l i I IilllllllllllllNlllllllll'` "H5 I uuml (No Model.)

3 Sheets---Sheefl 2. D. MILLS.

- BOOT OR SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 477,436. Patented June 21, 1892.

Re e

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

D. MILLS. lBOOT 0R SHOE `SEWING MAGHINE.

No. 477,436. Patented June Z1, 1892.

OO uns D Ef l Jl( UNITED STATES.

v:PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL MILLS, oE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOOT OR SHOE SEWING MACHINE."

sPEcIFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,436, dated June 21, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL MILLS, a citizen of the United States, and. aresident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Stitch-Forming Mechanism for Boot or Shoe Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in Inachin es Whose general character is set forth in my United States Patents Nos. 93,731, 96,944, and 97,951, of 1869, No. 101,644, of 1870, and No.127,423, of 1872, and English Patents No. 1,287 of 1870, Nos. 937 and 2,899 of 1871, No. 4,279 of 1875, and No.1,160 of 1876. The machines described in the specifications of said Letters Patent are designed for sewing a Welt to the insole and upper, for stitching the outsole to the welt, and also for sewing the soles to the uppers of turned shoes, no one of the machines, however, being adapted ,for the proper performance of all of these different classes of work. The characteristic features of the Inechanism in said machines are a curved needle which has a reciprocating motion or partial rotation to and fro around an axis and operates either with or without an awl and with `a needle-shield, a looper, a feed-dog, and a back or bottom gage, and in the case of the lock-stitch machines with a discoidal bobbin, a hook for carrying the thread over the same, and other devices actuated by suitable cams, the whole of the mechanism being supported by a strong head placed on a stand in such a manner as to permit the Work to be properly presented to the sewing mechanism.

My present invention relates to a machine in which all of the kinds of work above noted may be performed, the improvements comprising certain devices forinsuring such rigid guidance of the needle-shield as will maintain it at all times in proper relation to the needle; also, mechanism `for operating the needle and awl, so that the samewill pass through the Work while point to point on the return movementof the awl; also, a device for controlling the operation of the needleshield more effectively than before, and finally a laterally-moving thread-holder for carrying the needle and bobbin threads out of the path of the rotating hook duringaportion of the rotation of the latter, said thread- Application iiled October 6, 1391. Serial Nc 407,943. (No model.)

holder also serving as a guide to hold the needle and bobbin threads in a certain position `in respect to the work while saidneedlew thread is being taken over the bobbin by the rotating hook. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of suilicient of the machine to illustrate my present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 isa similar View with all parts of the machine re- Inoved, except those to which my present invention relates, and these parts being shown in a different position from that of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view onthe line l 2, Fig. 1, but looking in the opposite direction; and Figs. 5 to 14 are detached views of parts of the mechanism.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.

The head is composed of two parts A A2, fitted and bolted together by boltsa a a2, the various parts of the operating mechanism being mounted on said head, the sides A A2 of which have bearings formed in them for the reception of the main shaft C.

The needle is shown at b, c being the awl; d, the needle-shield; c, the feed-dog; f, the feed back or bottom gage; f2, the needle back gage; g, the locking-arm for the back gages; t, the looper; t', the pull-back; j, the hook for carrying the thread over the discoidal bobbin k; l, the bobbin-guard, and n the laterally-moving thread-carrier.

The 'construction .and combination of the parts to which my present invention relates and the devices for giving to each its peculiar Inotion in such manner that they will all co-operate in effectingthe required operation may be clearly understood by the following description: The needle-lever b is formed or rigidly fixed upon the end of a shaft or axis b2, which is supported so as to vibrate freely in a sleeve b3, secured to the part A2 of the frame or head, as shown in Fig. 5, said lever b being provided Vwith a flattened roller b5, Fig. 2, for adaptation to the slot b4 in the end of the operating-lever Ul, (see Fig. 2,) said lever l1 being hung to the bolt a2 and vibrated by a cam-groove bs in the disk B', acting on a roller b9, carried by the lever, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the cam being also IOO shown by full lines in Fig. 4. The needle b is mounted on one end of the lever b' and is secured thereto by a suitable clam pin g-screw. The needle-shield d is secured to the needleshield lever d', and the latter is mounted so as to turn freely on the hub or shaft of the needle-lever b', so as to swing concentrically with the aXis of said lever, and said needleshield lever is held in close working contact with the needle-lever by the screw d2, this screw passing through a segmental slot d3 in the lever d', as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and (l. Another segmental slot d4 in the lever d receives the small end of a fixed stud (5, projecting from the frame A2, as shown in Fig. 1, the object of this construction being to prevent the needleshield from being forced against the sole, so that the needle-shield descends with the needle only to the desired limited extent.

By the provision of the segmental slot and screw d2, whereby the needle-shield lever is pressed against the side of the vibrating needle-lever at a point close to the outer edge of said shield-lever, the proper lateral position of the needle-shield in respect to the needle is always maintained, which cannot be effectively accomplished in all eases where the pivotal bearing of the needle-shield lever is the only means relied upon for preventinglateral twisting or distortion of said needle-shield lever and consequent shifting of the needleshield. Contact of the needle-lever and needle-shield lever causes the latter to descend with the needle-lever until such descent is arrested by the stud g5, as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the needle continues through the work. On the return stroke the needle-shield lever is locked,as described hereinafter, until the needle is withdrawn from the work,whereupon the needle-shield lever is unlocked, and the contact of the screw d2 with the upper end of the slot d2 will cause any further upward movement of the needle-lever to be imparted to the lever d and its needle-shield. Hence the latter rises from the work with the needle after the latter has been drawn through the work. y

In order to hold the needle-shield downward positively until it has to be again lifted, I provide the needle-shield lever d with an arm d5, (see Figs?) and 7,) which is acted upon by a cam d on the cam-disk B2, this cam being such that it will hold the needle-shield rigidly in position while the needle, after receiving the loop, is returning and drawing-said loop through the work, the arm d5 of the lever d being at the proper time released from the control of the cam d", so that said lever can be raised by the screw d2 on the further rise of the needle-lever.

The looper-lever h is journaled in thevpart A of the frame or head, and on the front end of the looper-lever 7L is the looper h, the rear end of the looper-lever 71, being controlled by a cam h2 on the cam-disk B and held against said cam by a spring h3, attached to the said looper-lever 7L. (See Fig. 4.)

The awl-leverc is independent of the needle-lever Z9', and the shaft or spindle c2 of said awl-lever c passes through the hollow shaft b2 of the needle-lever b', which is mounted in the sleeve 'b3 on the head, as before described, and as shown in Fig. 5. The sleeve b2 is confined laterally to the frame A2 by a nut C10, Figs. 1, 5, and 8, and on the projecting rear end ot' the shaft or spindle c2 of the awllever is a disk c3, which serves to hold both the awl-lever and needle-lever in proper longitudinal position in the sleeve, and said disk c3 is grooved for the reception of the frictionband c4, which in the present instance consists of a wire bent so as to partially encircle said grooved portion of the disk and having at its opposite ends eyes c5 for the reception of a clamping-screw c, which is adapted to a threaded opening in the part A2 of the head of the machine, so that any desired degree of friction can be imparted to the disk c3, and the awl-lever thus retained in any position to which it may be moved. (See Figs. 5 and 8.) The arm b2 of the needle-lever 1) plays between the two arms of the awl-lever c', Figs. 2 and 3, so that there is a certain amount of dwell in the movement of the awl-that is to say, as the needle rises from the work the awl is thrust through the same and remains in that position' until the needle in its descent almost touches the point of the awl, the latter being then withdrawn from the work and the needle following it, point to point. A setscrew c7 is carried by one of the arms of the awl-lever c', so as to regulate the distance apart of the points of the needle and awl on the downward movement.

The thread-holder, which serves to hold the needle and bobbin threads out of the path of the rotating hook while the needlethread is being drawn by the pull-back and the hook is advancing into position to receive a fresh loop of needle-thread, is shown in Figs. 9 to 13, and consists of a plate n, having a laterally-projecting fingern', behind which the needle and bobbin threads are received, the plate n being secured to the front end of a lever n2, which is hung to a suitable bearing n2 in the head of the machine and has an anti-friction roller n4, bearing upon a side cam a5 on the cam-disk B. (See Fig. 4.) As the hook rotates a cam n10 in advance of the same (see Fig. 14) acts upon a lug n on the plate n and movesthe latter outwardly toward the needle, as shown in Fig. 13, so as to carry the bobbin-thread and loop of needle-thread out of the path of the hook, and as soon as the hook has advanced sufficiently the cam a5 restores the plate n to its normal position, Fig. 9. The needle and bobbin threads have a bearing behind the lprojecting finger' or hook n of the plate n while the loop of needlethread is being drawn around the bobbin. Hence the changing position of said loop, due

IOO

IIO

IIS

to the rotation of the hook, does not cause any material stretching or spreading of the hole in the work through which the stitch is formed. The plate n also has an outer projecting plate or guard n, as shown in Figs. 9 and lO, and on the outerside of this guardplate is mounted a coiled spring nl, the point of which projects through an opening or* in the plate and forms a finger nf for engaging with the loop of needle thread after it is pulled off the hook, said spring-finger yielding as the loop is pulled down, so as to freely discharge the same.

The operation of the machine is about as follows: Comlnencing at the point where the needle has just reached the limit of its forward movement, as shown in Fig. 2, the looper rises up, carrying the thread in position to be caught by the barb of the needle, which then begins its backward movement, taking the thread Within its barb, and as soon as the barb is well within the work the looper drops to its normal position, the needle still receding. Before the barb ot' the needle reaches the needle-shield the arm d5 has been released from control of the cam d and the needle-shield is caused to rise with the needle in the usual way by the screw cl2 striking the end of the slot d3 in the needle-shield lever. The rotating hook having commenced to rotate, the movement of the needle is so timed that the rotating hook will enter the loop held by the needle, and the needle then makes a slight forward movement to release the loop and the hook-shaft recedes from the needle with the needle-th read on the hook, carrying the same over the bobbin. The pull-back then pulls the loop of needle-thread ott the rotating hook, after which the needle resumes its backward movement, forcing the awl through the work. The needle again descends, and when it almost reaches the point of the aWl the latter' recedes and the needle passes through the work with it. The thread-holdern lies under the rim of the bobbin-face, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and prior to the hook reaching the needle and bobbin threads said plate is pushed laterally toward the needle by the action of the cam n10 m advance of the hook, thereby placing both needle and bobbin threads out of the way of said hook, as shown in Fig. la.

Although l have shown my invention as embodied in a machine in which the bobbin and the hook for carrying the needle-thread over the bobbin are in a plane parallel to the plane of movement of the needle and awl, it will be evident that my invention is applicable as Well to machines in which the bobbin and hook are in a plane at right angles to that of the needle and awl, as set forth in my English Patent No. 2,399 of 1871.

The hook-rotating mechanism, feeding and work-supporting devices, pull-back, the., form the subject of separate applications for patent filed of even date herewith, Serial Nos. 407,939, 407,941, and 407,940, and hence are not more specifically referred to in this specification.

Having thus described my inventionyl claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a boot or shoe sewing machine, the combination of the needle-lever, the needleshield and its lever, and a segmental slot and set-screw close to the outer edge of the needle-shield lever for preventing the lateral lseparation of said levers and consequent displacement of the needle-shield in respect to the needle, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the needle, the vibrating needle-lever, the needle-shield and its lever, a slotted connection between said levers, whereby the needle-shield lever is raised on the risc of the needle-lever, and a cam bearing directly upon one arm of the needleshield lever when said shield is down, thereby positively locking the shield in the depressed position, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the needle-lever, the awl-lever independent thereof and having arms between which an arm of the needlelever can play, andnu a frictional retaining device'for the shaft of said awl-lever, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the needle-lever, the awl-lever having arms between which an arm of the needle-lever can play, a grooved disk applied to the shaft of the aWl-lever and serving as a longitudinal retainer therefor, and a friction-band applied to the grooved portion of the disk and serving to retain` the same and the awl-shaft in circumferential position, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, in a boot or shoe sewing machine, of the needle, needle-shield,

looper, discoidal bobbin, and rotating hook for carrying the loop of needle-thread over the bobbin,with the laterally-moving threadholder located above the work and projecting forward in front of the rotating hook to such an extent as to engage with the bobbin-thread and with the discharged loop of needle-thread, whereby they are pushed out of the way of the hook as the latter advances to catch a fresh loop of needle-thread, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, in a boot or shoe sewing machine, of the needle, needle-shield, looper, discoidal bobbin, and rotating hook for carrying the loop of needle-thread over the bobbin, with the laterally-moving threadholder projecting forward in front of the rotating hook to such an extent as to engage both with the bobbin-thread and the discharged loop of needle-thread and push them out of the way of the hook, said thread-holder having a laterally-projecting finger or hook forming a bearing for the needle and bobbin threads and preserving the same in proper relation to the work while the loop is being drawn, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the needle, needleshield, looper, diseoidal loobbin, and rotating hook, With thelaterally-inoving thread-holder projecting forward beyond the hook above the Work, so as to catch the loop of needlet-lnead and the bobbin thread, said threadholder having' a laterally-projecting finger forming a bearing for the thread, and an outer guard-plate, substantially as Speeilied.

S. The combination of the needle, needle- Shield, looper, diseoidal bobbin, and rotating hook, with the laterally-moving thread-holder projecting forward beyond the hook above the Work and having a projecting spring-finger for engaging with the loop of needlethread, substantially as speeiiied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses,

DANL. MILLS.

Witnesses:

EUGENE ELTERioH, HARRY SMITH. 

